The first 747 delivered, the 747 100, was delivered on 15 January 1970. Najeeb Halaby, Chairman on Pan Am the launch customer, was on hand as first lady Pat Nixon christened her, Clipper Victor.The first commercial service was from New York to London on 22 January 1970.

Both Pam Am and Iran Air requested Boeing to design a longer range version of the 747 to accommodate the US Middle east routes. Pan Am was the launch customer with it’s first scheduled 747 SP service in 1976. Only 45 of the type were produced instead of the expected 200.

More powerful engines enabled the 747 200 to be used on international routes that were marginal for the 747 100. The type started service with Lufthansa in February 1971.

The Boeing 747 300 first flew on 05 October 1982 and was delivered to launch customer, Swissair, on 23 March 1983. The most visible difference between the 300 and previous variants was the stretched upper deck.

The Boeing 747 400 went into service with launch customer, Northwest Airlines, in February 1989 on their Minneapolis to Phoenix route. The type is identifiable by its 1.8 metre (6ft) winglets mounted on the wingtips which were also 1.8 metres (6ft) longer than previous versions. This allowed for greater fuel efficiency which increased the aircrafts’ service range.

Boeing 747 production totals for each variant.

Each of the Boeing 747 variants had very different levels of popularity. As you can see from the figures below, the Boeing 747 400 was by far the most prolific seller. This is logical as it was the culmination of years of research and experience. With each new model, new technology was added in response to experience gained with previous models.

An IranAir Boeing 747 SP. IranAir and Pan Am both pushed Boeing to create the SP which had a longer range than the Boeing 747 100. Of the expected 200 to be produced only 45 were built. It was seen as a sports car version with a shorter fuselage thus reduced weight. It was used by airlines with long route sectors such as Iran Air, South African Airways and QANTAS.